Loose-leaf memo tray and the like



May 20, 1941. FRASER 2,242,296

LOOSE-LEAF MEMO TRAY AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 20, 1939 L2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: fill an Fraser,

A TTORN E YS May 20, 1941. A. FRASER LOOSE-LEAF MEMO TRAY AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

flllan Frmszr BY M W ATTORNEYS.

Z3 WI TN ESSEb':

' @ZiWw p/w Patented May 20, 1941 UNETED S'B'ATEES PATENT -OFFICE 2,242,296 LOOSE -LEAF EIEMOTRAY AND THE LIKE Allan Fraser, Brooklyn, Y. Application October 20, 1939, Serial No: 300,289 v Claims.

This invention relates to memorandum devices, and more particularly to a device or container for conveniently holding sheets or leaves, and also when desired a pencil or other writing means for use with the sheets. In homes, offices,

and many other places, a supply of readily available sheets is often desirable on a telephone stand, on a desk, or in a desk or table drawer, etc., for making notes of addresses, calls received, numbers to be called, business transacted, appointments or social engagements arranged, or information obtained, or any other notes or memoranda. I aim to combine ease of access to the sheets, and facility in removing them from the container, with secure retention of otherwise loose sheets against accidental displacement or loss-as by being blown away by a gust of wind. Other features and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter from the description of species or forms of embodiment, and from the drawings. All the features.

and combinations shown or described are, indeed, of my invention, so far as novel.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a perspective or tilted view of a simple and inexpensive form of memo sheet tray conveniently embodying the invention; Fig. II is a partial plan view, with portions broken out; Fig. III is a fragmentary sectional view, taken as indicated by the line and arrows IIIIII in Fig. II, with one of the parts in a different position; Fig. IV is an end view with part of the end wall broken away as indicated by the line and arrows IVIV in Fig. III; Fig. V is a perspective or tilted view of one of the parts shown in Figs. IIV; and Fig. V is a bottom plan View of the tray.

Fig. VI is a perspective or tilted view similar to Fig. I, illustrating a different form of the device; Fig. VII is a longitudinal sectional view, taken as indicated by the line and arrows VII- VII in Fig. VI; Fig. VIII is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to Fig. III, taken as indicated by the line and arrows VIIIVIII in Fig. IX, illustrating a different position of one of the parts; and Fig. IX is a sectional view taken as indicated by the line and arrows IX-IX in Fig. VII

The device is shown in Fig. I as a shallow, oblong, rectangular container or tray 15, and a supply of memo sheets S (paper or cards) is shown therein. Resting in a pile on the tray bottom [6, the sheets S are held in place by the surounding tray wall and by an overlying partial cover or retainer -ll movably mounted in one end of the tray, and hearing or resting on 'a skirt or flange 23-which may the top sheet. For convenience, the tray end l8 adjacent this cover [1- is hereinafter distin-. guishedas the"rear end. Access of the thumb or other fingers to the edges of the sheets S to remove them is freely permitted by interruptions, openings, or notches l9 in the upright tray wall, at the sides 20', 2'0 and also at the front end 2|. In this particular tray, the interruptions or openings l9 extend the full height or width of the tray sides 20, 20 and end 2|, and are also prolonged or extended into the tray bottom l6 at I9 As shown in Fig. I; the side and end portions 20, 20, 2| of the tray wall are lower at the front end of the tray than are the side portions 28, 20 at its rear end, across which the cover l1 extends; so that when the cover I! rests horizontal on a full supply of sheets S' flush with'the upper edges of the side wall portions 20, 20 to the rear of the side openings IS- the pile of sheets S is substantially or nearly flush with the upper edges of the side and end wall portions 24), 20, 2| in front of the side openings I9. As shown in Figs. I, III, and V, the cover I! has a finger-nail recess I"! in or under its front edge tofacilitate lifting it from the sheets S, or from the bottom [6. As shown in Fig. II, the upright tray wall affords sufiicient clearance around the edges of the sheets S to allow them to be easily put in place in the tray or withdrawn. While these sheets S may, if desired, be detachably united along one or more edges-as an ordinary paper pad or tablet-separate loose sheets are generally more convenient when held securely, as by the retainer l1.

As indicated in Figs. I, III, IV and V the height of the inner surface of the tray bottom 16 above the supporting surface on which the tray I5 is resting is sufficient to allow free arccesses of the finger to the edge of a last sheet S resting on the bottom. To give ample eleva- 'tion and a good appearance, the tray I 5 is shown provided with feet 22 at its corners. and its vertical wall extends down below the bottom I6 as also extend around the edges of the bottom openings I9 to stiffen the bottom and prevent warping. As shown in Fig. V there is a central longitudinal ridge or rib 23 on the underside of the bottom 15, which also serves to stiffen it and prevent warning.

The cover or retainer l1 rests and presses on the pile of sheets S with suificient yielding force or weight to hold them securely again-st blowing away or otheraccidental displacement, yet allows one or more of the top sheets to be easily 2 engaged by a finger pressed against the edge(s) of the sheet(s) at one of the notches l9, and thus lifted and withdrawn from under the retainer. As shown in Figs. I to IV, the retaining cover I1 is pivoted at the rear of the tray to swing about a horizontal transverse axis parallel with and adjacent the upper edge of the rear end l8, by means of pintle projections 24 (Fig. V) on the ends of the cover adjacent its rear edge, where the cover is rounded and slightly thickened at its underside. These pintles 24 engage and turn in shallow bearings or sockets 24 provided at the upper rear corners of the sides 20, 20. To facilitate inserting the cover pintles 24, 24 in the sockets 24 24, provision may be made for resiliently spreading the socketed elements further apart, by elastic flexure of one or both of them. When the sockets 24 24 are formed directly in the rear portions of the sides 20, 20, as shown, these sides 20, may be made of elastic material and free of attachment to the end I8 for a suitable distance downward below the sockets; e. g., in Fig. IV the rear end I8 is shown slotted at 24 24* adjacent the rear corners of the tray l5. Though normally irremovable, the pintles 24, 24 are easily inserted in the sockets 24 24* or removed when the socketed elements are elastically separated as here indicated.

As shown in Figs. I, II, and III, the pivoted rear margin of the cover I! overlies the upper edge of the the rear end 18, which is of correspondingly less height than the rear tray side portions 20, 20 which contain the sockets 24*--suitable clearance being of course allowed between the rounded rear margin of the cover and the upper edge of the end IS. The pivoted cover H can readily be made suificiently heavy to rest on the sheets S and retain them effectually by its mere gravity, without necessity for any spring or other additional actuating means to urge it downward on the pile of sheets.

As shown, the cover l'l bears a legend 25, which may add materially to the usefulness or to the sales-appeal of the device, or may be of advertising character, or may serve any other useful or decorative purpose. As here shown, the cover I1 is provided with means for removably mounting and exhibiting a separate legended label 26 at its upper side. This label 26 may be a removable (paper or card) label held in place (preferably in a depression 21 in the top side of the cover H) by any suitable means. As shown in Fig. V, the cover ll has in each end at its back or underside a transverse recess 28 from which a slot 29 opens into the front depression 21. When the cover I? is swung upward to special position above its usual range of up and down movement, as shown in full lines in Fig. III, the slots 29, 29 lie above the upper edges of the tray sides 28, 20, so that the label 26 can easily be slipped into place through one of the slots, or removed; but normally and ordinarily, when the cover is swung down below the full line position of Fig. III, the tray sides 20, 20 block the slots and so prevent removal of the label. Preferably, the label 26 is made about aslong as the width of the sheets S, as shown in Fig. II, so that when the cover I1 is down, both ends of the label are retentively engaged behind the portions 30 of the cover at each end of the depression 21. As here shown, the width of the cover I1 is such that when level with the top edges of the rear portions of the tray sides 20, 20, its outer free (unpivoted) edge coincides with the corresponding corners of the notches 19 in the side walls 20, 20. Thus these openings l9 lie quite outside the range of the retainer H at all times.

The possibility of easily changing label 26 gives the device an amplified range of sales appeal, as Well as of ultimate utility. When the device is exhibited for sale, its label 26 may carry the trade name under which it is sold, or a description of the purpose for which the sheets S are to be used, or the sales price, or any other appropriate matter. When the device is actually sold, this label may be replaced by the salesperson with any other label more beneficial to the store, or to the purchaser-such as one carrying the name and address of the store, or a decorative design in harmony with the coloring of the tray, or a birthday, Christmas, Easter, or other seasonal greeting. Or, if desired, a set of monthly calendar labels may be supplied with the device. If the device is given as a present or a souvenir, or as a premium, the label 26 may bear the name of the donor, or a reference to the occasion or place commemorated, or the name of the recipient. The device is also very suitable for distribution by business concerns, vacation or health resorts, charitable or fraternal organizations, etc., as a means of carrying and securing attention to advertising.

As shown in Figs. I, II, and IV, the tray 15 is provided with supporting or holding means for a pencil or other writing implement, consisting in the present instance of a projecting rack ledge or ledges 33 at the base of the tray, grooved to retain a pencil or the like. The ends of the ledges 33 are shown beveled off to facilitate access to a pencil resting thereon. The interval between these ledges 33 corresponds to the tray side notch 19, and afiords free access to the edges of sheets S through the notch.

Figs. VI-IX illustrate a slightly difierent tray suitable for the purposes of my invention. In this device, the interruptions or side openings H! are not prolonged or extended into the tray bottom 58, though they are shown as extending the full height or width of the sides 20. This tray also differs from that shown in Figs. I--V in that its upright wall is of uniform height all around the tray, and the cover I! is pivoted to swing about an axis adjacent but inside the upper edge of the rear end Ill by means of pivot pins or nails 24 that extend through holes in the walls 20, 20 and take into the ends of the cover. The label 25 is also inserted, held, and removed differently: i. e., it is inserted and removed through a longitudinal slot 29 open through the long side of the cover depression 21 (about in the axial plane of the nails EM), and this slot 29 is exposed and accessible over the top edge of the tray end It only when the cover I1 is swung down substantially to the special extreme lower position which it occupies when the tray is empty of sheets S, as shown in Fig. VIII. Also as shown in Figs. VII, VIII, and IX, the edges of the depression 27 are undercut or grooved at 39, to retain the label 26. In Figs. VI and IX, a pencil 4D is shown restingon the rack ledges 33.

In Figs, VI-IX, corresponding parts and features are marked with the same reference numerals as in Figs. I-V, as a meansof dispensing with repetitive description-a distinctive letter being added only where material differences demanding special notice make such distinction desirable.

It will be understood that my device may be made in various forms, proportions, and dimensions, and of a variety of materials and by various processes: e. g., it may be fabricated of wood, according to ordinary cabinet-making methods; it may be of cast metal, or of sheet metal diepressed to shape; or it may be of a plastic composition, like Bakelite, molded to shape in any usual or preferred way; or it may be of any other suitable or preferred material.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A tray for memo sheets comprising a bottom with an upstanding Wall, and a partial cover movably mounted in one end of said tray, to overlie and normally press on the sheets in the tray, and having a label-holder with a side opening for insertion and removal of labels that is ordinarily blocked by the upstanding tray wall, but is exposed above the edge of the Wall for insertion or removal of a label when the cover is in special position therefor.

2. A tray for memo sheets comprising a bottom with an upstanding wall, and a partial cover movably mounted in one end of said tray, to over lie and normally press on the sheets in the tray, and having in its upper side a label-holding recess with a slot through a side of said recess that is ordinarilly blocked by the upstanding tray wall, but is exposed above the edge of the wall for insertion or removal of a label when the cover is in special position therefor.

3. A tray for memo sheets comprising a bottom with upstanding walls; and a, partial cover movably mounted in and extending across one end of said tray, to overlie and normally press on sheets in the tray, and having in its upper side a label-holding recess with slots through the opposite ends of said cover and recess that are ordinarily blocked by opposite walls of the tray, but are exposed above the edges of said walls for insertion or removal of a label when the cover is moved to special position above said walls.

4. A tray for memo sheets comprising a bottom with upstanding walls; and a movable partial cover in one end of said tray, for overlying and pressing on sheets in the tray, said cover having end pintles adjacent its edge, engaged in bearing sockets which are located at the corresponding corners of the tray sides and are elastically separable to permit insertion of said pintles.

5. A tray for memo sheets comprising a bottom with an upstanding end wall and side walls, said side walls having bearing sockets in their upper corners adjacent said end wall, but being unattached to said end wall for a distance below their upper edges and being resiliently flexible, so that their socketed corners may be spread further apart by elastic flexure of said side walls; and a partial cover in the corresponding end of the tray, for overlying and pressing on sheets in the tray, said cover having end pintles engaged in said sockets and normally irremovable, but removable and insentible when the sock-eted corners of the side walls are elastic-ally separated as above set forth.

ALLAN FRASER. 

